Lok Sabha Passes Waqf (Amendment) Bill After Intense Debate

The Lok Sabha approved the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in the early hours of Thursday following a nearly 12-hour debate.

The bill secured a majority with 288 votes in favor and 232 against.

During the discussion, Union Home Minister Amit Shah strongly criticized the previous UPA government’s 2013 amendments to Waqf laws. He called them politically driven decisions made hastily before the 2014 elections.

He highlighted how these changes led to the transfer of 123 VVIP properties in Delhi’s Lutyens zone to Waqf authorities.

Shah argued that those changes made the current amendments necessary.

He stressed the importance of the Waqf Board’s accountability to prevent financial mismanagement.

Ahead of the voting, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju refuted allegations that the bill was to target the Muslim community.

“You repeatedly claim our government acts against Muslims, yet it is you who perpetuated fragmentation by establishing separate boards for Sunni, Shia, and other sects. We proposed a unified board to foster unity,” he asserted.

Rijiju also clarified the legal distinction between Waqf and the Waqf Board, responding to concerns over non-Muslim involvement in religious matters.

“The court’s decree was presented, yet you refuse to accept the truth. After the Home Minister’s detailed explanation, this issue should not have resurfaced,” he noted.

Rijiju further emphasized, “The collector’s duties include revenue and administration; he is the district’s welfare officer. If we cannot trust him, whom shall we trust?”

AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi opposed the bill and dramatically tore a copy of it in protest.

Meanwhile, Jagdambika Pal, Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the bill, defended the proposed law, asserting that it would benefit the Muslim community.

He dismissed allegations that the bill had a political motive.

“We have worked for six months, day and night, to present an elaborate report on this bill. The Opposition made several remarks regarding this, stating that it will be used to garner votes in the Bihar Assembly elections. However, despite all such baseless claims, the bill will be passed today,” Pal told IANS.

Syed Naseruddin Chishty, Chairman of the All India Sufi Sajjadanashin Council, urged people to reject claims of religious property seizures.

He clarified that the bill only sought to regulate the management of Waqf properties to prevent misuse.

During the debate, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi called the bill an attack on Parliament and the Constitution, alleging that the government had specific political motives behind it.

Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav also criticized the move, questioning the logic behind the concept of ‘Unified Waqf Management’.

Senior Congress leader Rashid Alvi assured that if Congress returned to power in 2029, it would revise the Waqf law.

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera denounced the bill as unconstitutional, claiming it violated principles of equality and federalism.

Meanwhile, National Commission for Minorities (NCM) Chairman Iqbal Singh Lalpura supported the bill, arguing that it was in the best interest of the community.

However, political parties from Jammu and Kashmir, except the BJP, opposed the legislation, with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah declaring it unacceptable.

Congress MP KC Venugopal accused the government of using the bill to divide people along religious lines.

The passage of the bill has ignited strong reactions, reflecting deep political and ideological divisions.

Also Read: Waqf (Amendment) Bill Will Benefit Muslims, Says All India Muslim Jamaat Chief